Texas DPS Finds 17 Illegal Immigrants Inside Trailer
Texas DPS and U.S. Border Patrol discovered 17 illegal immigrants inside a trailer in Northwest Laredo on February 5th.
Photo Credit: Texas DPS
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials alongside U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) discovered 17 illegal immigrants inside a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) on February 5th, 2023.
Just after 9:00 p.m. CT, special agents from the DPS Criminal Investigations Division (CID) found a truck tractor semi-trailer involved in human trafficking in Northwest Laredo. CID Special Agents immediately notified USBP Agents at the U.S. Border Patrol inspection station on US Highway 83 in Webb County. During a secondary inspection, personnel located 17 illegal immigrants, including three adult females, 13 adult males and one juvenile from Mexico and Guatemala, concealed inside the sleeper birth.
Photo Credit: Texas DPS
The driver, Hugo Cesar Saavedra, 55, of Zapata, was charged with smuggling of persons. Saaverda also had an active warrant out of the Webb County Sheriffs' Office for DWI. The illegal immigrants were referred to USBP. CID Special Agents are further investigating this case.
The U.S. southern border has seen an increase of illegal crossings of migrants since the Biden administration took office in January of 2021. Customs and Border Protections data shows that the 2023 fiscal year has seen 863,929 total enforcement actions so far, with the 2022 fiscal year marking an all-time high of 2,766,582 total enforcement actions. The fiscal year runs from October 1st to September 30th.